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PRAISING THE LORD—THE COWBOY WAY
Ron Moore and His Dog Evangelize
by Linda Owen
Thousand Hills Cowboy Church, between Comfort and Kerrville, has no organ, no altar, and no stained-glass windows. Instead of chandlers, lighting comes from old kerosene lanterns wired for electricity. Antique saddles line the walls. Worshipers, who used to sit on hay bales until ants became a problem, now sit on Mexican blankets thrown over wooden benches inside the barn-church. Nearly two hundred area residents come every Sunday to hear Ron Moore preach on a stage in front of an Old West fa¡ade made with wood, windows, and rusty tin from a century-old ranch house. Beside him, sitting on a bale of hay, is his cowdog Will, who bows his head to pray on command. Here worshipers feel free to wear any duds — which means wearing their Stetson hats indoors. As Christian country music pours from the stage, boots tap to music supplied by guitars and drums. Thousand Hills Cowboy Church, a satellite outreach of Calvary Temple Church in Kerrville, was founded nearly five years ago "to reach people who would not set foot in a traditional church for one reason or another," says Moore. He and his wife Jerri have tried to create an atmosphere "that is appealing to folks in the western culture, so they'll listen to the Word of God."Ron met Jerri, a rodeo queen and barrel racer, while he was competing in rodeos. After they married 34 years ago, they traveled the country with their two children while Ron rode saddle broncs professionally. In 1989 they moved from southern Colorado to Texas to "get out of the snow" and Moore became a professional horse trainer. Pastor Del Way discovered that Moore had a unique way to share the gospel with Christian cowboy poetry and invited Moore to perform in the Calvary Temple sanctuary — and that later led to starting the cowboy church. In Moore's rhymed, metered verse he relates personal experiences throughout his own life as a rodeo cowboy and rancher. Using imagery from the western culture, he parallels the breaking of bucking horses to God's activity in the lives of sinners. Horse bridles are equated to bridling the tongue. Heaven is called God's barn "that's big enough for all." Moore considers Will, an Australian Red Heeler, as part of the ministry team. Inside the Thousand Hills Cowboy church, Will, who helps Ron in his work with horses and cattle during the week, sits on a bale of hay near Moore while he preaches. For his poems and ballads, Moore picks his guitar as background music. Will also does tricks and Moore tells jokes and quotes favorite Bible verses. Scratching Will's ears, Moore asks, "What's your favorite Bible verse, Will?" Will leans forward and "whispers" something into his master's ear. Moore grins and replies, "Nope, Will. The verse you're thinking about is James 4:7, 'Resist the devil and he will flee.' It's not 'resist the devil and you won't have fleas."According to Moore, Will and his poems are used "in order to encourage Christians to be bolder witnesses" by showing a parallel between the cowdog and the cowboy and the human's walk with God. Will's fleas are used to point out the "itch" that results from sin. Will's disobedience is met with unconditional love. In past years, Moore took his unique humor and poetry to all parts of the country. He flew Will in his plane to perform for groups of all kinds, from church services, to family reunions, rodeos, cowboy camp meetings, and poetry gatherings. After he founded Thousand Hills CC, he cut back on his evangelism schedule, since most gatherings are held on Sundays.Worshipers at Thousand Hills CC are cowboys, ranchers, country people, and those who simply love the western lifestyle. They want to hear sermons that relate to their culture — to trail rides, grazing herds, breaking horses, or (for farmers) prayers for rain and good crops. Believers are baptized in horse troughs or ponds.Moore believes his church's pastoral needs do not differ much from those of othercongregations. "They struggle with finances, health, relationships just like everyone else," he says. "We are unique in that we often pray for people's dogs, lame horses, and livestock — and God has been faithful to answer our prayers."Thousand Hills offers team roping, bull riding, and other rodeo-style competitions throughout the week, but all contestants are required to attend a brief worship service before each event. "A lot of our folks haven't been to church in years — maybe only when they were married or their mama died," Moore says. "Often they aren't comfortable in a traditional church, but they feel right at home in a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere. The good news about Jesus is just as effective when preached to folks on hay bales in a barn as it is when preached to those on padded pews surrounded by stained glass. After all, it's not the method used to preach the gospel that saves; it's the message."For more information, see http://www.1000hillscc.com.
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Linda Owen
Contributing Writer/Online Editor
Linda Owen is a regular writer on faith, retirement, travel, and general interest subjects for a variety of newspapers and magazines, both secular and Christian. She received her B.S. in Education and Journalism from SWTSC and a Master of Divinity Degree from Perkins School of Theology (SMU). Before seminary, she taught English and Media Communications at Churchill High School. After seminary, she worked on staff at churches in Dallas, Cotulla, and San Antonio. Linda teaches a weekly Bible study at University United Methodist Church. See Linda's web site: www.angelfire.com/zine2/lindaowen-writer/index.html.
linda@saworship.com
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